Background
Kaufmann, who is Jewish, was born in Plymouth, Minnesota and graduated from Robbinsdale Armstrong High School at Plymouth in 2004.
Kaufmann, who is Jewish, was born in Plymouth, Minnesota and graduated from Robbinsdale Armstrong High School at Plymouth in 2004.
At the University of Minnesota, Kaufmann played on the Golden Gophers hockey team and studied accounting at the Carlson School of Management.
His great-grandparents were murdered during the Holocaust. Kaufmann was a Western Collegiate Hockey Association scholar-athlete pick all four years at Minnesota. Kaufmann moved to Germany in 2008 and received German citizenship in order to play for the national team, DEG Metro Stars of Deutsche Eishockey Liga.
He is among the top scorers in the league.
Kaufmann admits that his teammates are very curious about him being Jewish and often ask him questions. Kaufmann told the United Kingdom"s Daily Mail: "I didn"t have to think hard about lieutenant
lieutenant is a great honour but it will also be a very emotional moment for me when I hear the national anthem played."
On February 16, 2012, Kaufmann agreed to leave DEG at season"s end and signed with fellow DEL club, Nürnberg Ice Tigers, where he played through the 2014-2015 season. In July 2015, he announced his retirement from ice hockey.